


Kitty Rescue Mission

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 16:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10994235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Louisa and Jack go on a daring rescue mission to rescue Steve's and Jenna's cats.





	Kitty Rescue Mission

Louisa checked her watch again. She’d give him another ten minutes, and then she’d leave. Jack hadn’t got back to her about the kitty rescue mission, but Zelda had told her that he did want to go rescue those poor kitties. Louisa drummed her fingers on the metal housing of the boat. She hoped that the trip to the oil rig wouldn’t be too awkward. Hopefully Jack wouldn’t get seasick. She wasn’t worried about driving the boat, though, she had enough experience that it was easy.

Ten minutes was up, and there was still no sign of Jack. Louisa let out a shaky sigh and started the engine. She was unmooring the boat when she heard hoofsteps on the bridge.

“I hope I’m not too late,” said Jack. Louisa looked up at him, grinning in relief.

“No, I was just about to head off,” said Louisa, keeping the boat steady. “Hop in.” There was enough space on the deck to hold two Jorvik Warmbloods.

“Where’s the driver?” asked Jack, leading Stormhunter onto the boat and leaving him beside Goldie.

“You’re talking to her,” said Louisa. “Dad taught me how to drive a boat.”

“That’s handy,” said Jack.

“Well, when you live in the fishing village, you’re pretty out of place if you don’t like boating or fishing,” said Louisa. Once Jack was seated with his lifejacket on and the horses were safely secured on the deck, Louisa unmoored the boat, lifted the anchor, and steered her way over towards the Harvest Counties. She wanted to go faster, but she had a passenger and two horses on board so she restrained herself.

“Won’t the goons hear your boat coming?” asked Jack, raising his voice to be heard over the engine and the waves.

“I’ll turn it off when darkness descends,” said Louisa. “This isn’t the first time I’ve driven a boat out here.”

“Do you usually do dangerous shit like this?” asked Jack.

“Sometimes,” said Louisa, laughing. She revved the engine a little to get through the waves better, but slowed once they were in smoother waters.

“You drive like a madwoman,” said Jack, gripping onto the seat tightly. “Does this thing even have seatbelts?” Louisa just laughed at him.

Once darkness descended, though, a more serious air came over the boat. Even the horses were silent. Louisa was used to the stars suddenly appearing as the boat drifted silently into the black mist that shrouded the oil rig. She’d been surprised at first, but now it was almost beautiful. Well, it would have been beautiful if Jack hadn’t chosen that moment to throw up over the side of the boat.

“Here,” said Louisa, handing him a bottle of water. “You can take your lifejacket off now, we’re almost there.”

“With you driving? I’m not gonna take that risk,” said Jack.

“Alright then, suit yourself,” said Louisa, taking her lifejacket off and tossing it at her feet. She rolled her shoulders, relieved to have that extra burden off her back. She hated clothes weighing her down.

The boat drifted until it gently bumped up against the oil rig down where the helmsman usually pulled up. Louisa moored the boat there and anchored it (not that it would reach the seabed out here, but at least the weight would stop it drifting somewhat), then led Goldie off the boat. Jack soon followed with Stormhunter.

“Alright, if we’re in danger, we’ll let you know,” said Louisa. “Mental link and all.”

“Yeah, then you can sprout wings and fly up so we can haul ass outta there,” said Jack.

“Down to the boat,” Louisa specified. “I borrowed dad’s boat for this and he’ll want it back.”

“Right,” said Jack, nodding. “Let’s get going, then.” He gave his horse one last pat on the nose, and then they were off.

It was absolutely, completely ridiculous that the two of them could crouch down behind the one box to avoid detection. Louisa darted around the platform like she’d always done this, even with the rain making her sneakers threaten to slip out from under her at any moment. Jack’s hair was soon plastered to his skull and he shivered, but Louisa was clearly a woman on a mission.

“How many times have you been out here?” asked Jack.

“Lost count,” said Louisa. “Come on.”

“I don’t know how you can see with the rain getting on your glasses like that,” said Jack, wishing that he could dry his glasses.

“You get used to it,” said Louisa. “Just follow me.”

At last, the two of them reached the top tiers where the doors leading inside were. Jack attempted to dry off his glasses while Louisa searched for a way in. Suddenly, the doors opened and Louisa swore quietly as she darted out of the way. An orange shape also darted outside with something dark flying past it.

“Why do you always have to lay on my clothes, you stupid animal?” an angry woman’s voice asked, and now Louisa was frozen for an entirely different reason as a dark-haired woman clad in only a towel stood in the doorway. Jack sighed.

“Oh, leave the cat alone, you crazy bitch,” said Jack. Jessica turned to glare at him.

“What are you doing here?” asked Jess. “Haven’t you idiot Soul Riders caused enough trouble?”

“We’re rescuing the cats,” said Louisa, then blushed when Jess looked at her.

“About time you did something useful,” said Jess, folding her arms over her chest. She didn’t seem to care at all that she was only wearing a towel and standing barefoot on a cold and wet metal floor.

“What? You’re going to help us, just like that?” asked Louisa. “Huh, guess-“

“What’s in it for you?” asked Jack, cutting her off before she could reveal Sands’ secret. Louisa quickly fell silent, clearly noticing her mistake.

“Oh, those damn animals just LOVE to lie on my black clothes,” said Jess. “And Katja’s. And if you just happen to be sitting down, well, they come strutting up and lie down on your lap. It’s like they know their fur will show up on it.”

“Oh, they know alright,” said Jack, grinning. “Cats are like that.”

“Cats like laps,” said Louisa, still blushing. Jess smirked at her.

“Well, take them,” said Jess. “They should both be around here somewhere.”

“Can you show me where the other one might be?” asked Jack.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll get the other one,” said Louisa, turning and leaving.

“I know what you just did,” said Jess, leading Jack inside.

“I wasn’t going to let my new friend be seduced by some demon bitch,” said Jack. “She’s got a girlfriend, you know.”

“But she’s fun to tease,” said Jess. “Pity it won’t work on you.”

“Sorry, I’m immune to your charms,” said Jack. “You could strut around naked and I wouldn’t give a shit. I’d feel uncomfortable, but nothing else.”

“Ugh, you’re no fun,” said Jess. “If I know the other cat, he’ll be with the freshly-cleaned laundry.”

“Did Sabine really steal them so she could have the ‘evil villain petting a cat’ look?” asked Jack.

“Yep,” said Jess, nodding. “Sabine is strange like that.”

“Fucking crazy bitch,” said Jack.

“I know,” said Jess. She turned a few more corners, then opened a door. “Yep, there he is, just like I expected.” Jack stepped inside the room after her and, sure enough, there was Steve’s cat curled up asleep on the wet laundry.

“Come on, you lazy thing,” said Jack, picking him up. The ginger cat gave a little confused ‘murp?’ and began purring immediately despite being held to Jack’s soaking clothing. He continued purring even when the alarms started to blare.

“That would be your friend getting caught,” said Jess.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” said Jack. “I’d better go find her.”

“Make sure that that cat doesn’t go missing again,” said Jess. “I like my clothes without cat fur covering them.”

Jack called Stormhunter, telling him that a quick getaway was in order. When he stepped back outside into the rain, his horse was waiting there, great white wings at the ready.

“Sorry about this,” said Jack, stuffing the ginger cat into his saddlebag. Once again, the cat didn’t seem to mind. “Alright, do you know where Louisa might be?”

Stormhunter flew around to the other side of the base, where Louisa was crouching between some containers with a tense, ragged-looking cat digging his claws into her.

“Well, go on, call your horse,” said Jack.

“I was trying to calm this cat down,” said Louisa, gripping the cat firmly so that he wouldn’t bolt from all the noise.

“You can use your mental link,” said Jack.

“I was worried about the cat,” said Louisa, sounding sheepish, and was silent for a moment while she called her horse. Goldie landed on the platform with a thump, having to hold his wings awkwardly so that they wouldn’t get stuck between the containers. Jack took the angry cat while Louisa mounted, and then handed the cat back to his new friend. Louisa winced as she took him.

The boat ride home was quieter despite the meowing of the cats in their separate cat carriers. Louisa winced every time water spray splashed her, and she had tears in her eyes by the time they arrived back at the fishing village.

“Are you alright?” asked Jack, seeing her struggling with mooring the boat.

“Yeah, the cat just scratched me,” said Louisa, sniffing. “I tried putting him in my jumper to hide him from the noise and lights. Bad idea.”

“Jenna did say her cat was mean,” said Jack.

“He liked me,” said Louisa.

“Well, yeah, but this time he was scared,” said Jack. He glanced at the cat carriers, where Jenna’s cat still glared out at them with yellow eyes while Steve’s cat was asleep with his head on his paws.

“I know,” said Louisa. “I’m not upset, I’m just really sore.” She finished mooring the boat, then stepped back. “I’m covered in cat scratches, and the salt water did not help that.”

“Yeah, salt water’s a bitch for cuts,” said Jack. “I’ll take the cats back if you want.”

“Jenna won’t want hers,” said Louisa. “I would keep him, but you really shouldn’t put a stressed-out animal with other animals.”

“Even after he scratched the shit out of you?” asked Jack.

“Like you said, he was scared,” said Louisa with a shrug. Then she winced again. “But yeah, you should take the cats back and I should probably see a doctor.”

“Do those exist on Jorvik?” asked Jack.

“I was talking about Lisa,” said Louisa with a little smile. “I look forward to much loving healing from her. During which time I will receive a stern lecture for throwing myself into danger again.” Jack laughed and rode away with the cats (Steve’s cat was once more in his saddlebag, while the growling monster in cat form was still safely contained in his cat carrier), while Louisa made her way home to get out of her wet clothes and get healed up.


End file.
